This patent relates to enamata devices for removing waste material from a person's colon through his rectum. These two regions are often collectively referred to as the colorectum.
Fecal impaction due to chronic constipation is one of the major colonic problems for the geriatric, psychiatric, mentally retarded and other institutionalized clients. Sometimes the constipation is due to mental blockage, where the person fails to "pick up" the cues of his bodily functions. Other times, it is a direct result of medication given to a patient.
No satisfactory treatment of chronic constipation is known. Potent laxitives relieve a patient, but sometimes produce addiction. Cathartics help, but only for a short duration of constipation. Similarly, anal suppositories and manual disimpaction are good only for low impaction; plus, they give a false sense of security and treatment.
Colostomy may be helpful, but the fecal content of distal colon, as well as the trauma and expense of the operation remain a problem.
High-fiber diet is usually employed, but often it is not enough to overcome the more difficult cases. In those instances, long-standing constipation and drug effects affect the motility of the patient's colon. The slow forward movement of his colon absorbs more water from fecal matter and makes it very hard, sometimes "as hard as a rock" or close to it. In these cases, only mechanical, non-operative evacuation of fecal mass is rewarding.
Accordingly, it is the principal object of the present invention to provide a novel colo-rectal evacuator for mechanically removing blocked feces from the colon through the rectum.
It is another object to provide a rectal tube that can be used quickly and easily for evacuation of chronic constipation.
It is a secondary object to provide such a colo-rectal evacuator, wherein the evacuator can be employed for peroperative use, such as the disimpactment of the colectomy ends during a colostomy, especially the distal end.
It is another object to provide a novel colo-rectal evacuator with an attached bag for collecting the removed feces in a sanitary manner.
It is a further object to provide a colo-rectal evacuator, commensurate with the above-listed objects, that is simple and economical in construction, yet extremely safe and durable to use.